Nix’s Mate – The Restaurant (not the Island)

Did you know that the Financial District restaurant Nix’s Mate is actually named after a tiny Boston Harbor Island of the same name?

The island Nix’s Mate has an interesting history, one that involves pirates (arrrrrrr), including pirate chief, William Fly. The restaurant Nix’s Mate happens to have a private dining area named after Fly. Fly, along with two other pirates, is buried on Nix’s Mate, the island, which appears and disappears with the tide. Being a lover of the sea and the islands, I thought the restaurant concept was pretty cool, and I was excited when Lin brought plans together for a bunch of Boston bloggers to have dinner there. My fun dining companions for the night included Daisy, Erica, Lin, Lisa, Megan, Meesh, and Jacki.

I arrived a little early to Nix’s Mate and decided to get out of the humidity and to have a cocktail. I instantly loved the restaurant’s décor. Light wood, high ceilings, lots of light, and my favorite, various shades of grey, give it a soothing, relaxed feel.

Nix’s Mate has a nice cocktail list, but what really jumped out to me was the Ginger Collins. (I’d also like to see them add a Champagne cocktail!). A friendly server took my order, and I was left to relax on one of the comfy leather couches by the window while I waited for the group to arrive. The lounge area is really a great space.

Candied ginger. . . yum! I can’t say that I loved this drink though. I was hoping it would have a kick of ginger spice, but it was overpowered by gin flavor. It was good, but not what I expected, and I don’t think I would order it again.

Once everyone arrived, we took our seats at a large, round table in the corner. Surrounded on two sides by big windows and lit from above by this cool chandelier, our table was a great space for group dining.

As food bloggers often do, we ordered a ton of small plates and shared them all.

Bacon-wrapped scallop skewers, maple butter – I thought that these scallops, while deliciously salty and sweet, were a little on the small side, and I definitely wished that there were more on the plate since they were so good.

Braised Veal Cheek “POT AU FEU” Roasted baby vegetables, bone morrow – I actually didn’t try this, but the table seemed to like it. It looked like a nice dish for fall or winter and had a pretty, rustic presentation.

Harbor Island Flatbread – Salami & pepperoni, tomato gravy, mozzarella, leeks, spicy fried rock shrimp – I really wanted to love this flatbread, but I thought it was pretty bland. The shrimp were standard fried shrimp, not spicy. The most flavor came from the pepperoni, which helped, but it didn’t really taste that different from a regular old pepperoni pizza.

Boston Bibb Salad – Pecans, blackberries, caramelized onion dressing, cornbread croutons – This was a nice, light, and fresh salad, and I love the blackberry and croutons. I didn’t notice much flavor in the dressing though, unfortunately. I love caramelized onions and dips/dressings made with them, and I hoped for that wonderfully sweet flavor.

We also shared the Tuna Carpaccio Nicoise and the Polpette Vignole (meatballs in clam sauce), and while the tuna was definitely a group favorite, I just didn’t find it very memorable. I did love the meatballs; they had a little bit of a kick, and I found the meatball and clam combination to be interesting.

Food bloggers pretty much always order dessert, so we decided to split four of the items on Nix’s Mate’s dessert menu. Dessert actually impressed more than dinner!

For me, the prize for best dessert was a tie. I loved the abundance of strawberries and the buttery shortcake in the strawberry shortcake and the homemade cookies and ice cream in the ice cream sandwiches. The cookies were nice and soft, with chocolate chips giving a great texture.

The fourth dessert we ordered was a hazelnut chocolate torte which was too sweet for my taste buds.

Dinner with a group of food bloggers is always fun, and I am glad I had the chance to dine with this group. My feelings about Nix’s Mate are mixed. I’d love for them to jazz up their by-the-glass wine selection a little with some more interesting options. As far as the food goes, nothing was bad, it just seems like they might be playing it safe with seasonings and other flavors. It is a restaurant in a hotel, so that would make some sense. I think their hearts and minds are in the right place, and there is definitely creativity behind the menu and the space. I’d return for a cocktail at the bar and to try some of the other dishes on the menu that we missed. There are a lot of options!

11 comments

Bret and I passed by there shortly after it opened. The interior looked beautiful but the menu posted didn’t seem too interesting. Your review makes me feel like we made the right decision to pass on the restaurant.

I went to Nix’s Mates a couple of weeks ago (it’s right near my husband’s workplace). I really enjoyed the decor, I thought, for a hotel restaurant they did a great job. What really stood out to me was the intimate private dining area – it looks like the perfect place for a dinner party!

From just glancing at the menu it didn’t seem all that interesting (like Michelle noted) which is why my expectations were not high and I was a little more impressed overall! And my drink was awesome, but I think it might have been an anomaly that it was not loaded with booze. I feel like your drink could have used some of my ginger beer….

Great review! My tequila drink was very nice, the second bourbon one was just OK. The pork cheek was good, but tasted like a regular pot roast to me. I would go back for dinner to check out some of their entrees.

Nix’s Mate is directly across the street from my office. The day it opened it became an immediate happy hour spot for our crew. I don’t need to eat anything there, I just love the Restoration Hardware feel of the place.

I agree a Champagne cocktail would be nice. None of the cocktails appealed to me. I thought the lobster caramel dish was inventive. And the veal cheek was actually pretty light and summery with those veggies in there. Not heavy and stewlike or wintry at all. Desserts were pretty awesome. And I love the look of the space especially the William Fly room. Also I had no idea about the history behind the name, so I loved learning that from your post.